


Simply Leo

by PhenomenalBrat



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Articles, Dating, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Flirting, Gender discusion, Interview, Kelly Olsen Mentioned, Leo Luthor - Freeform, Nia nal mentioned - Freeform, Other, Pronouns, Trans Characters, Trans Leo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27987801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhenomenalBrat/pseuds/PhenomenalBrat
Summary: Kara interviews Leo
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Kudos: 41





	Simply Leo

**Author's Note:**

> Author's notes: This is a short follow up to, "What I have always known " and happens before the story Walking tall. 
> 
> Author's notes: This story is an attempt to explain how Leo views himself and his identity and gender as a newly out Trans-gender Man. I'm hoping that his emotional journey is realistic and resonates with some of those who read this. 
> 
> Author's notes: I'm not a trans person myself so it was important to me to get feedback and knowledge from actual trans-gender men. I did ask and talk to a few people. I am not an expert on transgender identity or experience so I hope I did this in an authentic and empowering way for the Trans community.

Leo sat at a desk across from his girlfriend. Kara seemed almost giddy and eager as she prepped her notepad and smiled. 

"Okay. We've done this before. I'm gonna Keep it simple."

"Kara, you don't have to prepare me for an interview.

"I know. It's just that you seem nervous."

"Well-" Leo paused to collect his thoughts. "Its not- its not a first but it's also a first. Does that make sense?"

"It does."

"It's simple though. This is about you. Just tell me anything you're comfortable with."

"I'm-I'm honestly kinda terrified to be this open and honest; plus with the way things work in society I feel like I am putting a target-"

"I- hey I'll protect you. We don't have-"

"I want to."

"Okay." Kara's eyes skimmed over her notepad again for a few moments. "Okay, let's talk about Leo. First question, just tell us a bit about yourself and if you fill comfortable a bit about your journey coming out."

Leo paused trying to figure out how to exactly explain all that. "Well anyone who has even read anything about my past work, knows I'm innovative, clever, scientific and a curious mind. I think I always have been." Leo chuckled a little. "I took that Harry Potter house test thing after a friend suggested it and I found out that I am a Ravenclaw."

"Really?" Kara didn't sound at all surprised, just curious. "I got Gryffindor. "

"Of course, you would."

"House of the brave."

"Or the wreckless?"

"Nia told me she got Gryffindor too." 

"See?" Leo commented pointedly. 

"We gotta get Alex and Kelly to play that game; Brainy too."

They laughed at the absurdity for a moment.

"I've- I've always been Leo. Other people didn't know it and I couldn't say it for such a long time but I've always known I was-" Leo explained, shifting back to more serious conversations. "I thought- I thought I had to be her to keep you; to keep my friends and my life. I guess my coming out has been 25 plus years in the making." 

"Well, it was- you are definitely worth the wait."

"It's hard to explain but, I see myself as Leo and also just, like as, Not-Lena. Sometimes in my head I'm referring to me as a guy and sometimes-"

"Not a woman? You just kind of know what you mean?"

"Yeah. Exactly. "

Kara was writing again in her notepad. A tape recorder also sat on the table.

"I told you I talked to Kelly and Nia about Me before I worked up the guts to tell you."

Kara looked at Leo for a moment. 

**. . . .**

**( 4 weeks ago)**

_The sound of drunken giggling filled the apartment as Leo shuffled across the floor, bringing another bottle of Wine to Nia and Kelly._

_"Get over here. The gyoza is getting cold." Nia commanded._

_"Bossy!"_

_"Lena hurry up."_

_Leo found that he had more and more difficulty lately registering that people were talking to talking to him when they used that name. He so often bypassed it in his own head that it felt empty and weirdly meaningless to his ears. He flipped down on the couch in his black sweat pants and large sweater._

_"Okay. So I know you didn't just call us here to watch murder mystery shows and drink wine." Kelly was intuitive as always._

_Leo found himself weirdly nervous and shy even in his own home. There had been so much planning in this for them. "Yeah. No. I- uhm- I wanted to talk about- about- there's something I need to talk to Kara about."_

_"Oh?" Kelly asked._

_" Is this a sex thing?" Nia blurted out._

_Leo was both amused and taken aback. "No. No God no. I- Nia-" The laughter that poured out of his chest carried all the stress out with it. " No. Its- I mean, I guess sort of. It's about me. I'm not-"_

_"Lena, whatever you have to say is okay. "Kelly told Leo while picking up.the wine glass to take another sip._

_"Nia?" Leo thought it through before coming to a train of coherent thought.. "You know how you said you came out to your family as Trans when you were a kid?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"How-? How did you do it?_

_Nia looked at Leo as if she was quickly piecing together where this conversation was headed. "Is that-? Is that what you're wanting to talk to Kara about?"_

_"You- what if I was not who people thought I was? Like what if I wanted to show people who I was inside?"_

_Nia simply nodded. Kelly took another sip of her wine. Nia looked like she was waiting for more information but not pushing._

_"I want to tell Kara that I'm- I'm Leo. I'm Leo." He said it the second time with more confidence. The adrenaline rushed he had felt as he worked to get the information out was pettering down._

_"Oh. Are you- are you worried about how Kara will take all this?"_

_Leo breathed out a puff of air. " How does anybody just tell the woman they love that they are a man? Or even that they aren't the women she thought they were."_

_"Leo. Leo, listen to me. Even as a kid I was worried. My parents were the most loving accepting people and I still had doubts telling them who I was," Nia explained her own history. "They met me with love and affirmation though. "_

_"Honestly, I've found that love is expansive. " Kelly told them. She sounded like she was speaking from some Well of experience. "No matter what, Kara will love you."_

_"And you being honest about who you are, especially when it's caused no emotional harm of impact or stress for her, is just a blessing," Nia interjected._

_Leo looked around at the room and at his two friends. "I- thank you." He leaned towards Kelly who immediately offered a firm but warm hug._

_"So when are you gonna-"_

_"Soon."_

_"Soon?"_

_"I'm- some new stuff has come up. I've sorta been talking to this new therapist and- yeah."_

_Nia and Kelly both nodded as they took in this new information. Leo definitely felt more ready to tell Kara than he had before._

**. . . .**

**(Present)**

"I'm so glad you felt safe enough to tell me." Kara immediately moved to offer support after Leo's explanation. 

"I love when you do that. "

"Do what?"

Leo just smiled.

"Okay, so next question. Pronouns?"

"Oh. That's tricky." Leo tried to piece together his understanding of himself into a word. " He, but also kinda just anything that's not She. I- my mom- my real mom was so relaxed and free about that. I could just as easily say they or them or He or just me. I just never had any sense of myself as a girl. Sometimes I tried so hard to force myself to comform in these hyper girl power dresses and I just felt oggled and uncomfortable. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense." Kara was so supportive and listening so well. "So tell me, for the record, what is next for Leo the good Luthor?

Leo laughed a little. "Well for now I have a few new projects in the works that I'm unveiling soon. After that it's just a matter of getting the right team for that." He stared at his lap and smiled, " I'm also just planning to spend time with my incredible bubbly beauty girl friend, my soul mate and who knows."

Kara blushed beautifully. "Flattery. "

"Honesty. "

They stared at each other for a few moments. There was a delicious kind of energy in the air between them. It all seemed to promise some salicious future activity or something soft and sweet.

"I think that's pretty much all the questions I have for this." 

"So then shall I buy you lunch? " 

"Big belly burger?"

"Of course."

**. . . .**

**(A few days later)**

Leo sat at his desk, daydreaming about Kara. He had just read the article his girlfriend wrote and it honestly made his heart soar. He thought he might have it framed. _"Simply Leo: 'Leo Luthor, the illustrious and wealthy owner of L-corp, comes out as Trans. ' The exclusive interview done by Kara Danvers."_

He liked the sound of simply Leo very much.

**. . . .**

Thank you for reading. Leave Questions, comments, kudos or constructive criticism. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
